Collapsible lamp shade



April 1965 s. DERMAN ETAL 3,180,982

COLLAPSIBLE LAMP SHADE Filed April 8. 1963 INVENTOR5 5AM DERM/M/ BY HHRRY GRAND 1 7 TTORNE Y types and kinds and sizes of lamps.

United States Patent 3,180,982 COLLAPSIBLE LAMP SHADE Sam Derman, 20 Norwood Road, and Harry Grand, 6 Eton Place, both of Springfield, NJ. Filed Apr. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 271,318 2 Claims. (Cl. 240-145) This application is a continuation-in-part of our prior application Serial No. 257,174, filed February 8, 1963, now Patent No. 3,155,349.

This invention relates to lamp shades used on various More particularly, the invention deals with a frame structure for lamps which is endwise collapsible, so as to bring upper and lower rings of the frame one within another when the shade is in collapsed position, thus reducing the size of the shade and facilitating packaging and shipment thereof, as well as storage in a store or in the home. Still more particularly, the invention deals with a frame struc ture for shades of the character defined, wherein the upper and lower rings of the frame are joined by a plurality of circumferentially spaced fiat springs pivoted to the rings and maintaining a contour arrangement to give character to the shade when the frame and shade is in extended and use position and, further, wherein means is employed for checking opening movement of the frame in retaining the frame in open position.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a shade showing primarily the frame and diagrammatically illustrating part of the covering for the frame.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic partial bottom plan view of the frame of the shade in collapsed position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the inner surface of the lower larger diameter ring of the frame, showing one of the flat springs in operative position in full lines and in a partially collapsed position in dotted lines; and

FIG. 4 is a section on the broken line 44 of FIG. 3.

In illustrating one adaptation and use of the invention, FIG. 1 shows a major portion of a lamp shade frame in extended operative position, with part of a covering arranged upon the jframe and, in FIGS. 1 and 2, it will appear that the frame comprises a small diameter upper ring and a considerably larger diameter lower ring 11. Welded to the lower edge of the ring 10 are three circumferentially spaced brace rods 12, welded to or otherwise fixed to a ring-like hub portion 13, the rods 12 being downwardly and inwardly inclined to dispose the hub portion 13 below the upper surface of the ring 10, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

At 14 we have shown a plurality of circumferentially spaced flat bandlike springs, six of which are employed,

as will appear from a consideration of FIG. 2 of the drawing, upper ends of the springs being pivoted to outer surfaces of the ring 10, as indicated at 15, and the lower ends of the spring are pivoted upon inner surfaces of the ring 11, as indicated at 16. One of these pivots is shown in enlarged detail in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawing.

The ring 11 is fashioned adjacent each of the pivots 16 and at side edges of each of the springs 14 to form an inwardly projecting stop 17 and an inwardly projecting head 18. The stop 17, adjacent each of the springs,

' checks upward swinging movement of the springs 14 "ice to maintain the assemblage, as indicated in FIG. 1, the bead 18, at each of the springs, serving to retain the springs 14 in the raised operative position while, at the same time, assisting in support of the springs 14 upon the inner urface of the ring 11 when in collapsed position, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing. No attempt has bene made to illustrate the beads 18 in FIG. 2. It will be understood, however, that these beads will flex the springs 14 inwardly to a slight extent in establishing this frictional engagement. It will also be understood that, in moving the frame from the extended to the collapsed position, a little pressure is required in initially passing the springs 14 over the beads 18.

When the frame is in the collapsed position, as shown in FIG. 2, the several springs assume a contour, substantially as shown in FIG. 2; whereas, when the frame is moved into its extended operative position, as seen in FIG. 1, each of the springs will assume a reversely curved contour, as diagrammatically illustrated at the left of FIG. 1, the lower portion of each member being bowed outwardly to a slight extent, as indicated at 14', and inwardly to a slight extent, as indicated at 14", thus giving contour to the resulting shade and the fabric or other covering 19 applied thereto, part of this covering being diagrammatically shown at the right of FIG. 1. The covering 19 will conform to the contour of the springs 14, where the covering lies over these springs but, in the spaces between the spring, this contour will vary to an extent in coupling with the two rings, this variance being indicated, in part, at 20, adjacent the ring 10, and at 21, adjacent the ring, 11 at the right of FIG. 1. It will be apparent, however, that as and when the contour-type of shade is not required or desired, the covering can be extended between the upper and lower rings, as indicated by the dotdash line 22 at the right of FIG. 1 of the drawing.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible lamp shade frame comprising top and bottom rings, the top ring being of smaller diameter than the bottom ring, circumferentially spaced flat elongated springs collapsibly joining said rings, ends of said springs being pivoted directly to said rings, said springs being arranged upon the outer surface of the top ring and the inner surface of the bottom ring whereby, in collapsing the frame, the top ring can be arranged in alinement with an within the bottom ring with said springs positioned between and in alinement with said rings, and the bottom ring including other means operatively engaging each of the springs in retaining the frame in extended position as well as collapsed position.

2. A frame as defined in claim 1, wherein said last named means is fashioned from the material of the bottom ring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 480,989 8/92 Berthelemy 240-145 2,516,286 7/50 Yeidel 240-108 3,023,307 2/ 62 Okamoto 240145 FOREIGN PATENTS 87,722 7/ Germany.

403,847 10/ 24 Germany.

16,839 1909 Great Britain.

NORTON ANSI-IER, Primary Examiner.

EVON C BLUNK, Examiner. 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE LAMP SHADE FRAME COMPRISING TOP AND BOTTOM RINGS, THE TOP RING BEING A SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE BOTTOM RING, CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED FLAT ELONGATED SPRINGS COLLAPSIBLY JOINING SAID RINGS, ENDS OF SAID SPRINGS BEING PIVOTED DIRECTLY TO AND RINGS, SAID SPRINGS BEING ARRANGED UPON THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE TOP RING AND THE INNER SURFACE OF THE BOTTOM RING WHEREBY, IN COLLAPSING THE FRAME, THE TOP RING CAN BE ARRANGED IN ALINEMENT WITH AN WITHIN THE BOTTOM RING WITH SAID 